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Problematic
And with a grin filled with only the darkest of amusement, even with the knowledge that she required treatment to her own, more minor wounds, Lisa kicked him onto the doorstep, and walked away; all the while whistling a jaunty tune. Well, isn't this deja vu: Elias had turned up on the Society's doorstep in another bad mood. Though, it was rather evident that tonight, by his missing coat, and by the bright red stains that seeped through his white shirt and creeped along his side and stomach, his poor state of mind was for a drastically different reason. Elias could barely move, opting to let out a long groan instead. Shifting from his current position only brought pain to his wounds, but his side ached for medical attention, and he twisted himself to face the door anyway. Using a violently shaky arm, he pushed down on the step to draw himself up slightly, clutching the knob of the door as a support to pull himself upright. His other, similarly trembly hand hovered over the door for a moment before he brought his fist down on the door a few times; and even then he could barely create an audible knock. They were small, tiny, weak sounds, and very easily missed. Hyde without a Jekyll:' *Alice was returning' from the kitchen, after eating a midnight snack, when she heard what sounded like a knocking at the door. She was very tempted to leave well enough alone but curiosity got the better of her. Alice sneaked to the window only to see that Elias (of all people) was causing yet another scene. She angrily stomped to the door and opened it.* What did you do now?! Decipherer: He lets out a dizzied moan, but when he looks up to meet Alice's gaze, he snarls. "Can you just help me to the infirmary?" Hyde without a Jekyll: *She sees that Elias had left large dark stains on the steps. Alice sighs.* Great! That'll have to get cleaned up before sunrise. Now what exactly happened to you? Decipherer: He struggles to keep upright and balances himself on the doorway, lips curled into a scowl. "I'm bleeding out and you're whining?" Hyde without a Jekyll: *She shakes her head annoyed.* If you show up on the steps bleeding out, you get my whining! Now, do you want me to help you inside or do you want to be swimming with the fishes, again? Decipherer: Though some part of him acknowledged that she was the only thing keeping him from bleeding out, and that picking fights would not help him. But he completely ignored that part of him and staggers past her with a hand held tight against the slice on his side. "Oh, whatever. I didn't even want your help." Hyde without a Jekyll: *These contractions were really getting on her nerves. One second Elias is saying "Help me to the infirmary" then the next second "I didn't even want your help." She could just walk away from this whole situation now but by the look of his wounds he would not only make a mess of the Society's floors (something that he was succeeding at already) but he also wouldn't be able to make it to the infirmary.* Shut up you arrogant, indecisive arsehole. Unless you plan to clean up your blood and dead body as a ghost, which would be impressive considering that you would be even more of a muppet than you are now, you will let me help you. *Without waiting for a response she lodged herself under Elias's arm and supported the majority of his body weight, making sure to keep an iron grip on his left arm (which hung around her shoulders) and his waist.* Decipherer: He continues to grumble bitterly, "Oh, so now you want to help me? What happened to swimming with the fishes, hmm?" Hyde without a Jekyll: *She starts to lead him down the halls to the infirmary.* I always wanted to help you, you dolt! You just can't read social cues! As for swimming with the fishes, I think you've plagued the sea life enough already. Decipherer: "Oh, yes! Like your social cue of 'what did you do now'! As if you're completely flawless, Ms. I Chloroformed Some Man Because He Acted Funny?" Hyde without a Jekyll: And I'm about ready to Chloroform the same man, again. *She mumbles under her breath.* Decipherer: He snarls, twisting his left arm out of her grasp and shoving her away with the other. His side immediately regrets the action, however, and he visibly makes an involuntary flinch. "Go help someone who wants it. I'll get the assistance of someone who isn't crazy." Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice struggled against raising her voice above an livid whisper as to not alert the other lodgers to the ensuing conflict.* Don't you get it?! Don't you understand what this place is?! This is a safe haven for Rogue Science! Mad Science! Mad ''with passion, ideas, and a blatant disregard for morals! If you wanted help from someone who ''isn't crazy, isn't mad'', then you sure as hell picked the wrong place to bleed out!'' Decipherer: He scoffs, his voice straining to remain equally level. "I didn't ask to--," he cuts himself off before revealing anything more, his bitter scowl softening. "... Fine. Whatever. Let's go." Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice was going no where with him. Not yet at least, for she was still too pissed off and his sudden mood swing only made her angrier.* Something about you just rubs me the wrong way and I think I finally figured out what it is. You're a terrible lair! We all have our secrets, sure, but at least most of us have figured out how to keep them well enough! You--You constantly contradict yourself! Pick a story and stick to it! On top of that if you think I'm crazy then you clearly haven't looked in the bloody mirror! Decipherer: Elias turns a ghostly white, and for a moment where his vision failed him, Rowan was there in Alice's place, towering over him with a vicious snarl. He disappeared within the same moment, but his heart skipped a beat all the same. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Fear and blood loss and memories combined in the worst of ways and crashed over his thoughts at once, and he begins to fall forward. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice was red with rage and a cruel grinned played across her lips when the color left Elias's face and his eyes began to water. But this momentary triumph was dashed when Elias began to fall. She quickly rushed up to him trying to prop Elias upright.* Help me out here and use your legs! *Alice hissed through clinched teeth as she slowly lost the battle against gravity.* Decipherer: Unfortunately, he's far past unconscious, and can't quite obey the order. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice muttered some very uncouth things under her breath as she slowly lowered/fell to the floor with Elias. They were still quite a bit away from the infirmary and dragging his body would not only cause more blood loss but also a bigger mess. She struggled out from under Elias and rolled him onto his back, placing pressure on his wounds. If no one came soon she would need to call for help and wake the society, the last thing her and Elias needed was more attention.* Hyde without a Jekyll: *The blood was still flowing and there was no one insight. Alice weighed her options determining the best course of action was to stop the blood flow and then attempt to move Elias to the infirmary where he could properly be treated. She opened up her satchel and removed a pair of scissors, alcohol, thread and a needle. Alice began to work, removing his shirt first but she found that the blood had hardened in some spots causing it to stick to his skin. She hesitated to strip the cloth from the flesh for it my reopen a closed wound that lay hidden beneath.* Damnit Elias! You couldn't even make this easy! *She winced as her words carried down the hall, much louder than she intend them to be.* Decipherer: A mere minute after the words carry across the foyer, heavy footfall comes from the stairs. An admittedly groggy Artemis rubs his eyes and brushes the curls from his downed hair from his face, and his eyes widen. He rushes to their side with a panicked expression. "What did he do now? Oh God. Is he dead? Pleasepleaseplease tell me he's alive!" Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice looks up at the panicked figured and mentally scolds her self. She keeps her voice low and calm as to quiet Artemis.* No, he's alive. As for what he did, I do not know, maybe he will tell you once he recovers. Now please keep your voice down and come help me. Decipherer: "W- where are we taking him?" He leans down and carefully scoops the scrawny man into his arms, looking to Alice for answers. Hyde without a Jekyll: The infirmary. *Alice begins to collect her items as she explains the situation to Arty.* Elias appeared on the steps of the Society like that *she gestures towards his wounds.* and I was helping him to the infirmary when he passed out from lack of blood. *She then gestures to the drops of blood that lead to a pool of the red liquid that Elias had laid in a moment ago.* He's much to heavy for me to carry so I was attempting to patch him up enough that he wouldn't lose more blood as we traveled the rest of the way there. *She stood up and looked Arty in the eyes her face full of concern and endearment. If only Elias had been awake to take notes.* Decipherer: Artemis lets out a bleak chuckle to lighten the mood, but he begins to make quick strides towards the infirmary. "He's real good at getting himself into this stuff. It happened a whole lot when we were kids." Hyde without a Jekyll: *She flowed him shaking her head.* I wish I could tell you more of what happened to him but Elias was adamantly silent on the subject. Decipherer: He huffs somewhat, casting a tiny smile back towards her as he walks. "It's alright. He hasn't said much to me either... er, not about his years before the Society, at least." Hyde without a Jekyll: Really? *She was shocked.* That's surprising, as I would think he would tell you, his own brother. *They turn a corner nearing the infirmary.* Decipherer: Artemis huffs into another smirk, casting a discreet glance to his unconscious sibling. "As would I." Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice was unsure with how to proceed with the conversation so she didn't. They neared the infirmary doors as it is and Hen or Lezo were likely to be in there.* Decipherer: Eventually, the strange trio would find themselves face to face with the door. Artemis knocks on the door gingerly. And there's no response. And when he tries again, there's still no response. He pokes his head in. Empty. He faces Alice with a panicked expression, his voice hushed but wavering, "They're not in there!" Hyde without a Jekyll: *This was the first time Alice had ever known the infirmary to be vacant! The doctors and others must be away attending other engagments and persons. She crept inside the darkened room, readying herself for a Hen to appear out of the wood work but when nothing moved in the inky blackness her shoulders dropped in disappointment. She turned back to face Artemis, his silhouette outlined by the bright hallway.* This isn't good. Decipherer: "D-- I- do you have any medical experience? I have an amateur's kit in my room, b-but..." His demeanor grows increasingly frantic. Hyde without a Jekyll: Place him on a cot and put pressure on his wounds. *Alice fumbles with the lights for a moment before they turn on.* I have some experience patching up wounds but... *her voices trails off.* Decipherer: He does as ordered, mumbling "you'll be okay"s and "we've got you"s as he lays Elias down on a cot. Though gingerly at first, he begins applying pressure to the mark on his side. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice walks over to Artemis before continuing her train of thought reluctantly.* ...but they aren't the cleanest methods as they'll be extreamly painful and more than likely leave scars. *She rolls up her right sleeve and takes off the corresponding gloves to show him her arms and hands covered in scar tissue. Patches of the warped flesh appear to be from burns long ago while slender lines connect them together like strings. Occasionally one of these lines was stretched and twisted in a way that mimicked the discolored flesh around it.* Decipherer: He gasps, looking up at her in disbelief. "Wh-- honey, I'm sure there's a cleaner method than that..." Hyde without a Jekyll: It really depends on how deep his wounds are...*She looks down at her arm realizing that Artemis is focusing on the large burns from when...no, now was not the time to think about that.* ...My guess is they'll end up small like these. *She points to the clean lines on the back of her arms, the only indication of them existing is a slight discoloring. She quickly rolls down her sleeve and puts her glove back on not wanting to look at the past.* But I won't know until we can get a good look at them. Decipherer: Still holding against Elias' side wound, he cranes his head to stare at Alice. "Right. Uh, what next?" His gaze sweeps over Elias once more, and he frowns. "Two stomach marks and a stab on the side, uh..." Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice finishes covering her arms and walks over to the cabinet not making eye contact with Artemis.* We need to remove his shirt so we can sew up the wounds properly. We're also going to need *She starts pulling the items off the shelves as she lists them* alcohol, cloth, needle, thread, disinfectant... Decipherer: Artemis listens intently as he begins to peel the shirt off of Elias, careful to avoid the wounds, but as he finally slides it off, he pales at the sight of Elias' back. "Wh--... Oh god." Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice whips around, worried.* What is it?! Are the wounds that-- *Her words are cut short by what she sees.* Decipherer: By the way Artemis is holding him, the script on Elias' back is clear as crystal. While all of it was an inky black color, sections of the text are raised and suffer from discoloration -- branded, it would seem, burned deep into his skin. #1. You do not get a name in the eye of the public. The work of our cause is never to be shared. #2. Respect your fellow Scientists, especially those above you, but be unafraid in your pursuit. Control is power. Strive to get it. #3. Personal morality is irrelevant for the sake of the operation. #4. To break the Rules is to betray your fellow Scientist. Harsh reprimandation is to be expected to uphold our Standard. Artemis looks ready to be sick, a hand clamped over his mouth in shock. "What ... is that?" Hyde without a Jekyll: What the hell--! *Alice turns to Artemis and then points at the writing screaming somewhere between rage and terror.* WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?! *This changed things....or did it? Alice had always knew something was off about Elias. The inconsistencies, the terrible lying, the false starts...but this...she had never expected something like this. Everyone at the Society had their secrets, sure, but this...what the hell is this, indeed! Who were these "Scientists" was it them...was it the Society? Why was Elias really here? Who was he? Did his brother know? Maybe Alice should just let this man bleed out? One less potential danger to the Society. Or maybe she should save Elias. She wasn't a Doctor. She wasn't Hen. She wasn't bound by any code. And she was willing to do whatever it took to protect the place and the people she called home. But if this man were to die then his secrets would die with him. Wouldn't that be a good thing? '' ''Not if it meant the prevention of a greater threat. Not if these "Scientists" were something far more dangerous. More information is needed. '' ''More information is needed.* Decipherer: Artemis blurts out, his eyes wide with horror, "I -- I don't know! He -- oh my god, I didn't know..." Hyde without a Jekyll: How could you not know?! He's your brother!!! YOU TWO SHARE A ROOM!!! *She takes a step back ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.* Decipherer: "He never talks about what he did before the Society! I don't-- I had no idea!" He looks extremely terrified, tears forming at the edges of his eyes. "C- could we just fix him? Please? I'm sure there's a logical explanation for all of this. There has to be!" Hyde without a Jekyll: ...*Alice looks between Artemis and Elias for a while trying to figure out what's going on. After watching Artemis's expressions she could see his terror was just as genuine as hers.* Fine. But after this we better get a explanation out of him...he'll owe us that much. Decipherer: Even after the two work to patch up Elias, he doesn't wake until a few hours later. His eyes flutter open almost reluctantly, but as he takes in his surroundings, a half-asleep Artemis, and his absent shirt, he thunks his head against the wall with a groan. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice is in the corner going through some of the Library's old books, trying to find a reason behind the words written on Elias's back. She sits up when she hears the thunk and groan seeing if Arty was awaking up.* Decipherer: Artemis is awoken by this, and he sits up with a tiny snort. "Oh, Elias, you're awake! How are you feeling?" "... Just fine, I guess." Both Artemis and Elias watch Alice warily, almost expecting her to do something. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice sighed and closed her book walking over to the duo.* I'm glad your up, cause you owe us an explanation. Decipherer: Elias puffs out his cheeks and shifts to face the two, arms crossed over his chest, which is more clearly littered with faded scars of varying shape and size. It's ... almost similar to Alice's with their off color and strange pattern, actually. "Is there any chance of me, uh, not having to do that?" Artemis offers a sad smile and glances towards Alice. "She's right, Elias. You owe both of us." Guilt flickers across Elias' expression as he carefully avoids looking them in the eyes. "What do you want to know, exactly?" Hyde without a Jekyll: Well lets see here...*She sits down and begins listing the questions on her fingers.* 1) Why are you really here? 2) Why did you show up on the steps bleeding out? 3) What were you up to in the weeks before you came to the society? 4) And why do you have writing on your back? *She looks at Artemis.* Did I miss anything? Decipherer: Artemis shakes his head, facing Elias with a frown. "... No, she isn't." Elias rolls his eyes. "You're kidding me, aren't you? Do away with the interrogation, please, I have bette--" "Elias, please," his brother cuts in. Elias looks somewhat discomforted by this, releasing a sigh of defeat. "Fine. I'm here because I had nowhere to go. Hyde without a Jekyll: No where else to go?! *There were holes in his story and it annoyed Alice.* What about your brother who followed you here?! You could have stayed with him! What about your family?! Or these "Scientists"? Decipherer: He grits his teeth at the questions, visibly shaken. He studiously avoids Artemis' gaze as he grumbles, "I left my family years ago. Arty only found me because our mom isn't... doing very well." Artemis looks admittedly impatient despite his somewhat waning smile, hands folded but fidgeting. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice felt a pang of sympathy for the liar but it was quickly dismissed by the onslaught of questions and filled her mind.* And I'm truly sorry for that but it doesn't explain the situation that you've put Artemis and I in. You show up on the steps, half dead, nearly cause your brother to have a heart attack he was so worried about you, and then only as we attempt to save your life do we discover those brands on your back and now you have the audacity to continually derail the topic at hand! I can understand if you feel that you don't owe me an explanation but your brother! *She gestures towards Artemis.* You've lied to him long enough and cause him enough suffering for a life time! You need to tell us the truth! And you need to tell us all of it! Decipherer: Elias' eyes widen significantly at the outburst, guilt and fear creeping into his thoughts. His gaze flickers briefly towards the disappointed Artemis as he tries to consider any way out of this that ends well. There isn't. He straightens his posture slightly, his words slow but amplified by hand gestures, "Look, I- long story short, I got tangled up in some bad things with some bad people. I decided to ditch my family, because for some stupid reason, I thought they could provide me with something better. Turns out, they didn't, and I didn't like that too much." His voice quiets, softening to the utter disappearance of his arrogant tone, "I left, but they did that," he jabs his thumb behind him in gesture to his back, "before I could. Is there anything else you need to know?" Hyde without a Jekyll: *She huffed and shook her head. His story sounded familiar...maybe even though the words were different the emotions were the same that passed through every living thing under this roof. Different names, places, events, but always the same tale, the same emotions.* Details. We need to know details. If these "bad people" come after you...or already have *she gestures to Elias's fresh wounds* then we need to know what we're dealing with. Decipherer: Elias snickers somewhat, following her gesture to his wounds and shaking his head dismissively. "Wounds were inflicted by someone entirely unrelated. And I can personally guarantee they can't come for me." Hyde without a Jekyll: That's reassuring. *She says sarcastically.* Forgive me if I don't believe you but your track record of being truthful isn't exactly spotless. How ''can you "personally guarantee" that they can't come for you? '''Decipherer:' Elias' gaze shifts around nervously, "Because I killed the guy who lead them. It's disbanded by now. Trust me, lady, if they haven't found me yet, it probably means that they never will." Hyde without a Jekyll: That's...comforting. *She glances over at Artemis to see how he's taking the news.* Decipherer: Artemis looks absolutely horrified, shoulders drawn in and shrunken away from his brother. "... You what?" Elias tenses up and quickly shakes his head, his eyes wide and apologetic. "He deserved it, Arty!" Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice took up a near by chair, allowing the brothers to hash out their disagreement.* Decipherer: And indeed, their disagreement gets intense: "Murder isn't justifiable!" "It wasn't murder, Arty, calm the hell down -" "What kind of a group would ever make you think that that's okay?!" "A bad one, a- and it wasn't okay, but keep your voice d--" "What could anyone ever do that would make you do something so awful?" The question seems to leave Elias stumped, his mouth somewhat agape as he tries to consider how he could possibly respond. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice smiled knowing her answer for Arty's question but it wasn't her question to answer. Instead she let her eyes smirk at Elias while he contemplated his response.* Dr. Jekyll II ( Mother Hen ): ( As they do so, the telltale click of a well made heel echos across the floor. The door opens to reveal a weary Hen. His eyes widen at the sight of the bleeding Elias and then soften into an apologetic smile. He makes his way over to Alice and sets down his bag. ) I got your message and I'm terribly sorry. There was a bowel resection at the hospital and it got hairy for a while. How is he? Hyde without a Jekyll: Hen! *She's surprised to see the good doctor and stands up to greet him.* Elias is ...alive. *She wasn't sure how to put his condition into words. While physically he was going to be just fine the relationship between the brothers was strained to a point of breaking on top of that many of his foul secrets, buried deep, had been unearthed.* Decipherer: Despite reaching the peak of the argument, both Artemis and Elias are silenced by the new arrival. Artemis looks hurt, almost ready to cry; Elias has a bitter scowl, but is still laying back on a cot. Artemis huffs and stands, promptly storming out of the infirmary. Elias only grumbles in response. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Alice shakes her head.* Nice job. *She says sarcastically at Elias before addressing Hen.* He's all yours now. *She then flows out behind Artemis hoping to catch up to him.* Decipherer: Elias' fists curl at his sides when Alice follows him out of the infirmary, a deep scowl setting onto his features. "That's perfect." Unfortunately for Alice, Artemis is long gone - and there's no telling where he went. Hyde without a Jekyll: *Artemis needed time to think and Elias was in the good hands of Hen. The clock's chimes echoed down the hall signaling that it was two in the morning. It wasn't even light outside and it had already been a long day. She sighed and trudged off down the halls back to her room for a much needed sleep.* Decipherer: As Alice passes through the halls, there were two different, combating noises - sniffling, and the sound of tearing parchment. Obtained From Problematic Role-playing page for pg. 68! Category:Main Plot Category:New and Old Faces